Who or what do you think wanted the priest to leave when he was blessing the house? And why?
The demon and because he wanted to bless the house that the demon spirit lived in. The cross was upside down in the closet when the mom went in so obviously the spirit does not like God.
Do you think something is haunting the family or is it just a conincidence? If so why, or if not why not?
Amanda- Yes i think something is haunting them because its happened to everyone who lived there before them.
Brianna- It's not the house itself, its what the house is on.
Rachel- Someone was haunting them, maybe the house was built on a burial site and it was the spirits.
If you heard that this mass murder occured at your potential house would you still buy it?
No, nobody would want to because they felt that the spirit would still be with them and they would still be uncontorable.
If you were in George's posistion, with all these wierd occurances happening, would you stay in the house or leave?
Rachel- If I still had some common sense left I would leave.
Brianna-I would run away.
Amanda-I would leave.
What do you think was at the boathouse that night that Gorge woke up? Why do you think he keeps waking up at 3:15 and thinking about the same thing? Is the boathouse a key component in the story or just another useless tidbit?
Rachel- The spirit opened up the lock and the door slammed.
Brianna-I think he, if anything is going to kill everyone. I think it was just the door slamming,
Amanda-I think something drew him out there.
Amanda and Brianna:
1. " Don't you remember the Defeos, Frank?" asked one of the men at the table. "Last year? The son killed his whole family. His father, mother, and four brothers and sisters. Terrible, terrible thing. It was a big story in all the papers."
2. " Wasn't that a tragedy father?" said Kathy. "That poor family. Imagine all six murdered in their sleep."
3. She turned from the sink. "Well, don't bark at me! You're their father, you know! You do it!"
4. "Get Out"
5. A half hour later, George was back in bed, still wide awake. As an ex-Marine, not too many years out of the service, he was fairly accustomed to emergency wake up calls. It was taking him time to turn off his inner alarm system.
6. " Don't you remember the Defeos, Frank?"
7. It just started, it went so fast, i just couldn't stop
8. but i wanted to show you how the 'other half' of Amityville lives
9. I wonder if i should have told you which house this was before or after you saw it.
10. Thats the DeFeo house.
Week 2
Person A- Brianna
Person B- Shauna
Person C- Ro, Amanda
Person D-Rachel
Ro and Amanda:
Who is Jodie?
Shes the magical/evil pig
Why do you think Harry is so tired all of a sudden?
The magical force is making him tired so that he wont guard the house.
What do you think is causing George to wake up every night at 3:15?
The magical force/being an ex marine
How is the family’s actions and behavior changing throughout the book? Why do you think this is?
Everyone in the family is becoming less and less patient
What happened to Jimmy’s money? Do you think this has something to do with what is going on in the house?
We dont know yet, maybe the magical force thats going on in the house.
What was one of the first weird things that happend in the house?
When the priest heard the voices.
Why dosen't Kathy tell George about the incident in the kitchen?
She didn't want him to think that she was going crazy.
What does Kathy think of Missy's "imaginary" friend?
She thinks that its normal, and just like a kid thing.
Why was george awake so late and why was he in the boathouse?
we dont know yet, but it might have something to do with the magical force.
What does kathy do when she feels a body pressing against her, hands around her waist, and someone telling her not to listen?
She sturggles and freaks out
Shauna:
“Oh, God, no! Not again!”
“I just had the feeling that something is wrong.”
“The eerie episodes of that night were still very much on his mind.”
“I won’t go in there.”
“What’s he looking for?”
Briana:
Is it easy to read?
The book can get difficult to read at times but for the most part its pretty decent reading.
Conversational?
No, the book talks about the people in the third person rather than to you.
"Classic"?
Yes, the book is classic because it is a true story about things that most people know.
Does it use a lot of words you don't understand?
No, it uses words that are simple and that are understandable.
What grade level do you think the book is written at, and why?
The book, i think, is written at a 7 or 8th grade level because the words aren't difficult but the material is hard for younger kids to understand.
Rachel:
What we discussed in Amityville Horror book group is from pages 1-80. Basically we all came to the conclusion that there is definitley some super natural force that is causing wierd things to happen, for example how the toilets turned black, or the flies in the windows. Even little things like the families personality changes, to the moving ceramic lion in the living room. Right now, the whole family is lying to themselves about what is doing these things, but in the deepest corners on their minds...they know what is truly lurking around every occurance.
Week 3
Person A- Shauna
Person B- Rachel
Person C- Ro, Brianna
Person D- Amanda
Rachel:
"There, floating two feet above the bed was kathyl She was slowly drifting away from him toward the windows!" page 116
"Up to that point, Father Mancuso had not attributed the source of the smell to his own apartment. But after lighting the incense in his rooms and returning to the school building with the others, the priest realized that his apartment had been the first struck-" paige 109
"Kathy had her own opinions." page 107
"I know what you mean" 104
"Father can you come right away?" 104
Ro:
Why does Gorge think the reason is for always going in the boathouse?
He thinks there is money in it.
Why are the spirits making Father Mancuso sick?
the spirit dosen't want him anywhere near the house because he is a holy man
Why does only Missy see the pig?
because she is the youngest and she dosen't really understand what is going on
how has kathy and george's relationship changed since they moved into the house?
they fight a lot more and are having more probloms
Why do you think the odor started in father Mancuso's apartment and what do you think it is from?
I think it was the spirits trying to make him leave and get away since he wouldn't be able to stand the smell
Brianna:
What do you think Kathy felt was behind her? Do you think it was the ghost of family memebers that died there or something deeper?
The mother of the Defeo's , the old women that lived in the house before the Defeos.
Why do you think Father Mancuso had a fever and suddenly all symptoms dissapeared?
When he was thinking of all the things but when he forgot about it the spirit left him alone.
Do you think that there is a reason why suddenly George and Father Mancuso suddenly forgot about each other?
No, they just forgot like anything else.
What do you think the secret door was used for?
To sacrifice animals in there.
What do you think moved the sculpture? Do you think most of the things going on is happening to Kathy?
The spirit moved the sculpture and yes most things are happening to Kathy. Its trying to posses Kathy.
Amanda:
From pages 80-120, the strange events continue to happen. They get worse and worse. For example, earlier in the book event that were unexplainable were happening, but they could have been something other than spirits. During the recent part of the book, when George went upstairs, Kathy was being levitated. There is no other explanation for something like this. The events happening from the beginning of the book to the part we are at now are getting more and more unexplainable.
Shauna:
The mood that fills this book is horror. The book is filled with evil spirits trying to overcome a family of four. It would has an errie tone with very little happiness.
Week 4
Person A: Amanda
Person B: Rachel, Ro
Person C: Shauna
Person D: Briana
Shauna:
Do you think that the marching band has some sort of connection to the family?
Ro- I think that someone who lived in the house was in the marching band.
Rachel- I don't think it has a connection.
Brianna- I think one of the kids who died was in the marching band.
Why do you think that the spirits are blocking all communication between the holy father and George?
Amanda- They tried to bless the house and the spirits got mad.
Ro- The spirits don't want anything holy in the house because they are against it.
Why do you think the spirits want the family out of the house?
Ro- They think its still their house and they are truspassing.
Briana- They think they still live there.
Why didn't Gorge want Kathy to go to her mom's house?
Ro- Because of the weather.
Why did Gorge want the dog to stay inside?
Ro- Because of the weather and because the kids wanted him to stay with them.
Ro:
He said"Tell the priest not to come back or he will die"
"He was nervous and Sniveling, kathy noted, particularlymafter Missy had introduced Harry to her Unseen friend Jodie"
"George turned on the night stand light next to him and gasped. He was looking at a 90 year old woman-the hair wild, a shocking white, the face a mass of wrinkles, and ugly lines, and salivia dripping from her toothless mouth"
" I would like to make one suggestion to you. Most people find out who their spirits are and they find they like them. But in this case, i feel this house should be cleared."
"At that very instant, he recalled whose voice had been speaking to him through Francine. It was Father Mancuso."
Rachel:
"After talking to George, Father Macncuso felt a tremendous pressure lift from his shoulders" 127
"Tell the priest not come back or he'll die!" 129
"'A pain?' Kathy asked. Francine nodded. "very slight, very quick. Right as you turn the corner. It disappeared quickly" 137
""maybe the kids didnt do it. let me take a look" 147
"there was an unearthly moan, a loud clicking, and then just the sound of a disconnected line" 157
Amanda:
Discuss the themes and images that your book contains. What are some of the images that are used? What do they seem to represent? Why do you think the author uses these images to convey his or her meaning?
In the book, George always wakes up at 3:15. This is the time that Ronnie Defeo killed his family. I think this means that George will eventually do the same. Kathy and George see the pig multiple times and gearge see Ronie Defeo’s face. The author does this to involve the reader more in the book and put them in the characters shoes.
Week 5
Person A- Ro
Person B-Amanda
Person B- Brianna
Person C- Rachel
Person D- Shauna
Rachel:
1. Why was Jimmy moving out of his house?
Shauna and Amanda- Because he got married.
2. Why was the sunday of the 25th day the worst?
Shauna- The worst day with the spirits.
3. Why did father Mancuso feel weak?
Ro- because of the spirit giving him the flu.
4. Why did father Mancuso and George meet?
Brianna and Shauna- They were discussing the house.
5. What ended up happening in the end?
Everyone- they moved out
Quotations-
Amanda:
“Harry’s afraid to go near the secret hideaway”
“Only when he approached Missy’s room did Harry hang back.”
“You were screaming, George,” Kathy said, “and we couldn’t wake you up.”
“Ow!” her mother winced, jerking a finger back from one of the welts on Kathy’s stomach. “I burned myself!”
“Missy’s eyes lit up. ‘Yes, Mama,’ she nodded, ‘Jodie’s an angel. He talks to me all the time”
Brianna:
"Dont go in there!", Kathy yelled. "Please! Let's get out of here now!"
"Don't let him go in there!" Danny screamed. "He'll get killed!"
Just to be on the safe side, George and Kathy decided the children should sleep in the master bedroom again.
At 3:15 A.M., George heard the marching band strike up downstairs. This time he did not go to investigate.
He was yelling in two different tongues- languages she had never heard before!
Ro:
This week was the end of the book and it wrapped up how the story ended and how the family escaped from the house that changed their lives.
Shauna:
This book meeting we discussed the end of the book. We talked about how the confronting the spirit changed the families' lives. We also had a discussion our favorite parts of the books, including the magical pig. After reading this book we all want to watch the movie to get more insight about the Amityville Horror.
Week One
Person A- Rachel
Person B- Amanda, Brianna
Person C- Shauna
Person D-Ro
Shauna:Who or what do you think wanted the priest to leave when he was blessing the house? And why?
The demon and because he wanted to bless the house that the demon spirit lived in. The cross was upside down in the closet when the mom went in so obviously the spirit does not like God.
Do you think something is haunting the family or is it just a conincidence? If so why, or if not why not?
Amanda- Yes i think something is haunting them because its happened to everyone who lived there before them.
Brianna- It's not the house itself, its what the house is on.
Rachel- Someone was haunting them, maybe the house was built on a burial site and it was the spirits.
If you heard that this mass murder occured at your potential house would you still buy it?
No, nobody would want to because they felt that the spirit would still be with them and they would still be uncontorable.
If you were in George's posistion, with all these wierd occurances happening, would you stay in the house or leave?
Rachel- If I still had some common sense left I would leave.
Brianna-I would run away.
Amanda-I would leave.
What do you think was at the boathouse that night that Gorge woke up? Why do you think he keeps waking up at 3:15 and thinking about the same thing? Is the boathouse a key component in the story or just another useless tidbit?
Rachel- The spirit opened up the lock and the door slammed.
Brianna-I think he, if anything is going to kill everyone. I think it was just the door slamming,
Amanda-I think something drew him out there.
Amanda and Brianna:
1. " Don't you remember the Defeos, Frank?" asked one of the men at the table. "Last year? The son killed his whole family. His father, mother, and four brothers and sisters. Terrible, terrible thing. It was a big story in all the papers."
2. " Wasn't that a tragedy father?" said Kathy. "That poor family. Imagine all six murdered in their sleep."
3. She turned from the sink. "Well, don't bark at me! You're their father, you know! You do it!"
4. "Get Out"
5. A half hour later, George was back in bed, still wide awake. As an ex-Marine, not too many years out of the service, he was fairly accustomed to emergency wake up calls. It was taking him time to turn off his inner alarm system.
6. " Don't you remember the Defeos, Frank?"
7. It just started, it went so fast, i just couldn't stop
8. but i wanted to show you how the 'other half' of Amityville lives
9. I wonder if i should have told you which house this was before or after you saw it.
10. Thats the DeFeo house.
Week 2
Person A- Brianna
Person B- Shauna
Person C- Ro, Amanda
Person D-Rachel
Ro and Amanda:
Who is Jodie?
Shes the magical/evil pig
Why do you think Harry is so tired all of a sudden?
The magical force is making him tired so that he wont guard the house.
What do you think is causing George to wake up every night at 3:15?
The magical force/being an ex marine
How is the family’s actions and behavior changing throughout the book? Why do you think this is?
Everyone in the family is becoming less and less patient
What happened to Jimmy’s money? Do you think this has something to do with what is going on in the house?
We dont know yet, maybe the magical force thats going on in the house.
What was one of the first weird things that happend in the house?
When the priest heard the voices.
Why dosen't Kathy tell George about the incident in the kitchen?
She didn't want him to think that she was going crazy.
What does Kathy think of Missy's "imaginary" friend?
She thinks that its normal, and just like a kid thing.
Why was george awake so late and why was he in the boathouse?
we dont know yet, but it might have something to do with the magical force.
What does kathy do when she feels a body pressing against her, hands around her waist, and someone telling her not to listen?
She sturggles and freaks out
Shauna:
“Oh, God, no! Not again!”
“I just had the feeling that something is wrong.”
“The eerie episodes of that night were still very much on his mind.”
“I won’t go in there.”
“What’s he looking for?”
Briana:Is it easy to read?
The book can get difficult to read at times but for the most part its pretty decent reading.
Conversational?
No, the book talks about the people in the third person rather than to you.
"Classic"?
Yes, the book is classic because it is a true story about things that most people know.
Does it use a lot of words you don't understand?
No, it uses words that are simple and that are understandable.
What grade level do you think the book is written at, and why?
The book, i think, is written at a 7 or 8th grade level because the words aren't difficult but the material is hard for younger kids to understand.
Rachel:
What we discussed in Amityville Horror book group is from pages 1-80. Basically we all came to the conclusion that there is definitley some super natural force that is causing wierd things to happen, for example how the toilets turned black, or the flies in the windows. Even little things like the families personality changes, to the moving ceramic lion in the living room. Right now, the whole family is lying to themselves about what is doing these things, but in the deepest corners on their minds...they know what is truly lurking around every occurance.
Week 3
Person A- Shauna
Person B- Rachel
Person C- Ro, Brianna
Person D- Amanda
Rachel:"There, floating two feet above the bed was kathyl She was slowly drifting away from him toward the windows!" page 116
"Up to that point, Father Mancuso had not attributed the source of the smell to his own apartment. But after lighting the incense in his rooms and returning to the school building with the others, the priest realized that his apartment had been the first struck-" paige 109
"Kathy had her own opinions." page 107
"I know what you mean" 104
"Father can you come right away?" 104
Ro:
Why does Gorge think the reason is for always going in the boathouse?
He thinks there is money in it.
Why are the spirits making Father Mancuso sick?
the spirit dosen't want him anywhere near the house because he is a holy man
Why does only Missy see the pig?
because she is the youngest and she dosen't really understand what is going on
how has kathy and george's relationship changed since they moved into the house?
they fight a lot more and are having more probloms
Why do you think the odor started in father Mancuso's apartment and what do you think it is from?
I think it was the spirits trying to make him leave and get away since he wouldn't be able to stand the smell
Brianna:
What do you think Kathy felt was behind her? Do you think it was the ghost of family memebers that died there or something deeper?
The mother of the Defeo's , the old women that lived in the house before the Defeos.
Why do you think Father Mancuso had a fever and suddenly all symptoms dissapeared?
When he was thinking of all the things but when he forgot about it the spirit left him alone.
Do you think that there is a reason why suddenly George and Father Mancuso suddenly forgot about each other?
No, they just forgot like anything else.
What do you think the secret door was used for?
To sacrifice animals in there.
What do you think moved the sculpture? Do you think most of the things going on is happening to Kathy?
The spirit moved the sculpture and yes most things are happening to Kathy. Its trying to posses Kathy.
Amanda:
From pages 80-120, the strange events continue to happen. They get worse and worse. For example, earlier in the book event that were unexplainable were happening, but they could have been something other than spirits. During the recent part of the book, when George went upstairs, Kathy was being levitated. There is no other explanation for something like this. The events happening from the beginning of the book to the part we are at now are getting more and more unexplainable.
Shauna:
The mood that fills this book is horror. The book is filled with evil spirits trying to overcome a family of four. It would has an errie tone with very little happiness.
Week 4
Person A: Amanda
Person B: Rachel, Ro
Person C: Shauna
Person D: Briana
Shauna:
Do you think that the marching band has some sort of connection to the family?
Ro- I think that someone who lived in the house was in the marching band.
Rachel- I don't think it has a connection.
Brianna- I think one of the kids who died was in the marching band.
Why do you think that the spirits are blocking all communication between the holy father and George?
Amanda- They tried to bless the house and the spirits got mad.
Ro- The spirits don't want anything holy in the house because they are against it.
Why do you think the spirits want the family out of the house?
Ro- They think its still their house and they are truspassing.
Briana- They think they still live there.
Why didn't Gorge want Kathy to go to her mom's house?
Ro- Because of the weather.
Why did Gorge want the dog to stay inside?
Ro- Because of the weather and because the kids wanted him to stay with them.
Ro:
He said"Tell the priest not to come back or he will die"
"He was nervous and Sniveling, kathy noted, particularlymafter Missy had introduced Harry to her Unseen friend Jodie"
"George turned on the night stand light next to him and gasped. He was looking at a 90 year old woman-the hair wild, a shocking white, the face a mass of wrinkles, and ugly lines, and salivia dripping from her toothless mouth"
" I would like to make one suggestion to you. Most people find out who their spirits are and they find they like them. But in this case, i feel this house should be cleared."
"At that very instant, he recalled whose voice had been speaking to him through Francine. It was Father Mancuso."
Rachel:
"After talking to George, Father Macncuso felt a tremendous pressure lift from his shoulders" 127
"Tell the priest not come back or he'll die!" 129
"'A pain?' Kathy asked. Francine nodded. "very slight, very quick. Right as you turn the corner. It disappeared quickly" 137
""maybe the kids didnt do it. let me take a look" 147
"there was an unearthly moan, a loud clicking, and then just the sound of a disconnected line" 157
Amanda:
Discuss the themes and images that your book contains. What are some of the images that are used? What do they seem to represent? Why do you think the author uses these images to convey his or her meaning?
In the book, George always wakes up at 3:15. This is the time that Ronnie Defeo killed his family. I think this means that George will eventually do the same. Kathy and George see the pig multiple times and gearge see Ronie Defeo’s face. The author does this to involve the reader more in the book and put them in the characters shoes.
Week 5
Person A- Ro
Person B-Amanda
Person B- Brianna
Person C- Rachel
Person D- Shauna
Rachel:
1. Why was Jimmy moving out of his house?
Shauna and Amanda- Because he got married.
2. Why was the sunday of the 25th day the worst?
Shauna- The worst day with the spirits.
3. Why did father Mancuso feel weak?
Ro- because of the spirit giving him the flu.
4. Why did father Mancuso and George meet?
Brianna and Shauna- They were discussing the house.
5. What ended up happening in the end?
Everyone- they moved out
Quotations-
Amanda:
“Harry’s afraid to go near the secret hideaway”
“Only when he approached Missy’s room did Harry hang back.”
“You were screaming, George,” Kathy said, “and we couldn’t wake you up.”
“Ow!” her mother winced, jerking a finger back from one of the welts on Kathy’s stomach. “I burned myself!”
“Missy’s eyes lit up. ‘Yes, Mama,’ she nodded, ‘Jodie’s an angel. He talks to me all the time”
Brianna:
"Dont go in there!", Kathy yelled. "Please! Let's get out of here now!"
"Don't let him go in there!" Danny screamed. "He'll get killed!"
Just to be on the safe side, George and Kathy decided the children should sleep in the master bedroom again.
At 3:15 A.M., George heard the marching band strike up downstairs. This time he did not go to investigate.
He was yelling in two different tongues- languages she had never heard before!
Ro:
This week was the end of the book and it wrapped up how the story ended and how the family escaped from the house that changed their lives.
Shauna:
This book meeting we discussed the end of the book. We talked about how the confronting the spirit changed the families' lives. We also had a discussion our favorite parts of the books, including the magical pig. After reading this book we all want to watch the movie to get more insight about the Amityville Horror.